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Saudi Arabia recalls envoy in Danish row | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Asharq Al-Awsat, Riyadh -Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador to Denmark on Thursday in a row over cartoons about Prophet Mohammed published in a popular newspaper.

A Saudi government official said the move was taken “in light of the Danish government’s lack of attention to insulting the Prophet by its newspapers”.

Dr. Bandar al Ayban, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Majlis al Shura (Consultative Council) said the Saudi government sought to send a message to the international community that, “It does not accept anything that harms Islam and the Prophet or that destroys the friendly relations that link the Muslim world and the West, under any pretext.”

For his part, Abdul Rahman al Atiyah, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, indicated Riyadh was entitled to recall its envoy to discuss the publication of the cartoons, adding that the drawings were against Islam and would hurt the feelings of Muslims and violate internationally-agreed values and morals.

Dr. Othman al Rawaf, a political expert called on Copenhagen not to hamper procedures aimed at filing a lawsuit against the newspaper. He also demanded the newspaper publishers apologize.

Twelve cartoons in Jyllands-Posten published last September depicted the Prophet as a stereotype of an Islamic terrorist. The Norwegian Magzinet magazine re-published the same cartoons earlier this month.